iQOO Neo 7 Pro Review with Pros and Cons

iQOO is well known for the performance side of things but with the launch of iQOO Neo 7 Pro, things have changed and this time, iQOO has worked on the cameras as well.

So let’s find out whether the iQOO Neo 7 Pro is worth buying for Rs 34,999 or its just another Android phone.

 iQOO Neo 7 Pro Prices

The iQOO Neo 7 Pro is priced at Rs 34,999 for the 8GB/128GB and Rs 37,999 for the 12GB/256GB version. It comes in two colors, Fearless Flame (leather-back) and Dark Storm (Plastic back).

iQOO Neo 7 Pro Review

Yes, the iQOO Neo 7 Pro is worth buying because it’s powered by Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 which will give you the best gaming experience along with that, the cameras are also decent while the 120W fast charging takes everything to another level. However, if you really want the best cameras then you need to wait for the Nothing Phone 2.

By the way, the Nothing Phone 2 is launching on 11th July 2023 and it is expected to launch at Rs 34,999.

Related: Best Smartphones Under Rs 25,000

So if you’re not in a hurry then I would advise you to wait till the 11th of July 2023.

Display and Build

The iQOO Neo 7 Pro is a big smartphone, I mean, it has a massive 6.78-inches 120Hz AMOLED display with 1300 nits peak brightness.

So if you’re looking for a one-handed smartphone then this one is not for you at all. Take a look at Pixel 7A or even 6A.

Now, the good news is, the phone supports HDR in even Netflix and all the other OTT platforms which is a plus point, so your movie-watching experience will be on top.

The in-display fingerprint sensor also works well, no issue here. The 1300 nits brightness is good enough for all kinds of usage whether you want to use the device under sunlight or even at home.

Also, yes, iQOO has used good quality AMOLED panels because the panel is producing vibrant colors.

Now, read this carefully, 

iQOO Neo 7 Pro comes in two versions, the Fearless Flame has a leather back whereas Dark Storm has a Plastic back. 

So choose the one you like the most, I personally, prefer the plastic back because the leather might come out after a few years.

The frames are made from plastic which is not good at all, I wish IQOO had gone with metal.

Related: 5 Best Smartphones Under Rs 30000

Overall, the display quality is solid while the build could have been better as this is Rs 34,999 smartphone. Nonetheless, it’s not a deal breaker at all.

Performance and Software

The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 was last year’s flagship processor and it’s not changed this year too. So if you’re looking for a gaming phone under Rs 35,000 then this could be a good option to consider.

iQOO has even added a dedicated chip for performance which does come in handy when playing games like Genshin Impact Mobile.

iQOO has even added 8 5G bands which are n1, n3, n5, n8, n28A, n40, n77, and n78. So you will be able to take advantage of 5G all over India without any issues.

It runs on Fun Touch OS 13 based on Android 13 and IQOO has promised 2 years of OS and 3 years of security updates which means, the IQOO neo 7 Pro will get Android 14 and Android 15 Updates.

Now, most of the brands are providing three years of OS updates but here iQOO is like, we will offer only 2 OS updates, take it or leave it.

By the way, the phone does have ads in the UI which you have to disable by going to the settings but keep in mind, the ads won’t be disabled by 100%.

Here is how you can disable the ads on IQOO Neo 7 Pro.

• Long Press on the Home screen and Go to the setting.
• Now, scroll down and disable the Hot Games and Hot Apps.
• That’s it, now you will get fewer ads.

Wait, it’s not done yet.

• Long Press on the IQOO’s official Browser.
• Now, tap on the App Information.
• Here, disable all the notifications for the Browser.
• So from now, you won’t get any ads from the iQOO at all.

There you go but keep in mind, it’s not generated that, even after doing this, you won’t get ads, it’s up to the iQOO whether to show the ads or not.

iQOO Neo 7 Pro is a beast when it comes to performance while iQOO or should I say, Vivo has improved the Fun Touch OS but it’s not the best. However, for the gaming side of things, you won’t face any sort of problems.

Cameras

Am I impressed with the IQOO Neo 7 Pro’s cameras? The answer is YES, for a gaming phone, it has good cameras compared to its competition.

It comes with a 50 MP primary camera with Optical image stabilization (OIS), an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro sensor. On the front Front, there is a 16MP selfie shooter.

The rear cameras can shoot videos up to 4k@60fps while the front can only shoot at 1080p@30fps and the OIS only works with a 50MP primary sensor.

The video comes out solid but yes, it does have saturated loot to it while during the night, it often softens the footage.  

The OIS does work and it is good, it doesn’t feel gimmicky at all.

The 50MP primary sensor takes solid images under sunlight but keep in mind, after all this is Vivo’s smartphone, so yes, the images are coming out saturated and with a white tone.

So if you’re okay with this kind of image then you will be more than happy with iQOO Neo 7 Pro’s cameras but if you have that neutral look then kindly wait for the Nothing Phone 2 or consider the Pixel 7A or even Pixel 7.

The 8MP ultra-wide is kind of okay, it’s just there. It does take good images under good light but it suffers a lot under low lights.

That 16MP selfie shooter is a bit too much, it boosts the colors too much.

For example, if you’re taking a selfie of yourself then for some reason, the sensor adds too much red color and because of this, you will look like a tomato.

I mean, the front camera is social media-ready.

Overall, for the price of Rs 34,999 and considering this is a gaming phone, one should not complain much but yes, if you’re looking for a camera-centric phone, iQOO Neo 7 Pro is not the best option.

Camera Samples of IQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G (Google Drive Link – Raw Images)

Audio

IQOO has added a dual speaker which sounds perfect for all kinds of usage whether while watching movies or listening to music.

Now, just like any other smartphone, the 40% volume comes from the top speaker while the remaining 60% comes from the bottom speaker.

Also, yes, there is no 3.5mm audio jack on IQOO Neo 7 Pro but it does have dual SIM support but there is support for micro-SD card.

Battery

The 5,000 mAh battery will last for a day without any problems but if you’re heavy users who love to play games, use social media apps all day, take voice calls, take video calls, and even listen to music then you will have to charge the iQOO Neo 7 Pro twice a day.

Now, if you’re a normal user who doesn’t play games then you will only get 1.5 days of battery life.

The good news is, iQOO has provided the 120W charger in the box which will only take 8 minutes to charge from 0% to 50%.

What I’m saying is, the battery won’t be a problem for anyone whether you’re a heavy user or not.

Alternatives to iQOO Neo 7 Pro

We have quite a few options if you don’t want to buy the IQOO Neo 7 Pro. So let’s take a look at them.

1. OnePlus 11R 5G: It starts at Rs 38,999 and is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 SoC. The biggest advantage of the OnePlus 11R over IQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G is Oxygen OS which doesn’t have ads and its clean Android Skin. Also, this will get 4 years of OS updates.
2. POCO F5: For the price of Rs 29,999, the POCO F5 5G is solid for gaming and is powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen2 chipset.
3. Nothing Phone (2)-upcoming:  This too will come with Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 SoC but this is yet to come, so we don’t know the price but it will come under Rs 40,000.

IQOO Neo 7 Pro Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Beautiful 120Hz AMOLED Panel	Ads in the Ui
Super Bright Display	Filled with bloatware
8 5G bands	Not the best for Photography
The best for Gaming	Videos come out a bit on the saturated side
Massive 120W Wired Charging Support
Dual Stereo Speaker
Decent Camera For Gaming Phone

Verdict

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IQOO Neo 7 Pro Full Specifications

Price	8GB Ram + 128GB Storage: Rs 34,999 12GB Ram + 256GB Storage: Rs 37,999
Display	6.78-inches FHD+ AMOLED Display 388 PPI Density 10-Bit Panel HDR10+ Support 1300 nits pick the brightness 1080 x 2400 pixels Resolution 120Hz Screen Refresh Rate 87.60% screen-to-body ratio
Dimensions	164.8 x 76.9 x 8.5  Weight (Plastic): 194g Weight (Leather): 199g
Build	Glass front, Leather/Plastic back, Metal frame
OS	Fun Touch OS 13 – Android 13 2 Years of OS Updates. 3 Years of Security Updates.
RAM and Storage Speed	LPDDR5 Ram UFS 3.10 Storage
Chipset	Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 (4 nm) CPU: Octa-core (1×3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) GPU: Adreno 730
SD-Card Slot	No
Rear Cameras	50MP Primary Sensor (OIS), 8MP Ultra-Wide Lens 2MP Macro Video 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps.
Front Camera	16MP Selfie Shooter. Video 1080p@30fps.
5G Bands	8 5G Bands (n1, n3, n5, n8, n28A, n40, n77, and n78)
3.5mm Jack	No.
Speakers	Dual Speakers.
Bluetooth Version	5.3 Version.
FM Radio	No.
NFC	Yes.
Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes, In-Display Fingerprint Sensor
Battery	5,000mAh (non-removable). 120W Wired Charging. 0% to 50% in 8 Minutes
Weight	Plastic: 199g Leather: Rs 194g
Colors	Fearless Flame, Dark Storm

Images by Prasadtechintelugu